Freedom class (22nd century)
in 2263 }} The Freedom-class was a small starship design operated by Starfleet in the mid-22nd century. After the formation of the United Federation of Planets in 2161, the Freedom-class was in the Starship-class. The class was presumably superseded by the , the first class capable of warp five, launched in 2151. At least one Freedom-class vessel, the , was still in Starfleet service in 2164. Ship design At the forefront of the design that would come to be emblematic of Starfleet ships, the Freedom class featured a saucer shaped living and command section that contained all necessary control for ships functions, along with living quarters. The two impulse drives were positioned at the aft of the ship, facing aft, on either side of a large indent in the saucer. Positioned on two pylons stretching back and a little outwards from the ship were the two nacelles housing the warp engines. Although it is unknown what warp factor the first Freedom class ship was capable of, the , launched in the late 2140s, was the first human ship capable of warp 4, making it incredibly advanced for its time. Unlike later classes of ship, the Freedom class was built in space and never intended to land on or take off from a planet's surface. The only known way for one of these ships to launch from a planet is for it to be dropped off a cliff, causing it to reach terminal velocity at which point the stabilizers can be initiated for liftoff. The Freedom class contained transporters, but they were intended for cargo use, not for living matter. However, they could be modified to work on living beings. The Freedom class was also armed with pulsed phase cannons and spatial torpedos. Interior design Command deck The bridge was at the top center of the saucer dish, containing all essential command and control functions. The commanding officer of the ship sat in a chair at the center of the bridge, with the helmsman in front of them and communications, science, and engineering stations at consoles spread around the room. Directly in front of the helmsman was the main viewscreen, a transparent window onto which technical information could be displayed. Directly aft of the bridge was the transporter room, which consisted of an open semicircular chamber - where transported objects materialized - facing the entrance door, which was next to the control panel for the transporter. Controversy over transporter use at the time meant that the transporter aboard the Freedom-class was only intended to be used with cargo, however, modifying the transporter aboard one Freedom class ship, the Franklin, in order to transport humans, was not a significantly difficult venture. Lower decks Although the exact layout or number of the decks beneath the command deck is unknown, it is known that the ship had a combination mess/recreational hall, a warp core directly next to the claustrophobic main engineering chamber, and a set of officer's quarters. File:USS Franklin mess hall.jpg|Mess hall File:USS Franklin engineering.jpg|Main engineering File:Franklin type corridor.jpg|A typical corridor Ships commissioned * (NX-326) Category:Federation starship classes Category:Federation starship classes (alternate reality) Category:Alternate realities